Travel Day

Saturday we did not get up early. It’s saturday after all. Emily went to yoga. I packed for the trip to Visalia. Em and I are going to go visit my Dad. He lives in Visalia. Though, my personal opinion, no one really “lives” in Visali. It’s a totally hot, dry and cheerless place. Not unlike Passaic NJ. I hate it. I was sentenced to 7 years in Visalia in 1972. I got out about two minutes after high school graduation. There are now 130k lost souls residing in Visalia. What a bunch of ultra maroons.

Em got home and cleaned up. She packed. We put the dogs in the car cuz they get to go this time. Taking your animals may seem rude, but you have not visited my dads house. He has two cats who pee all over the house. His caregivers dog lives there. Pees everywhere. I think my two only help.

We did have to make our old cat, Pepto, extra comfortable before we left. She is sick. Not eating much. Not moving much. Just trying to crap continually. Nothing comes out. Just a drop or two of diarrhea. Lovely. She was throwing up a lot on Friday. Not sure what’s up. She’s sick. So we left her with plenty water and food. The trip is only overnight.

Trip to Visalia is 220 miles, approximately. Takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours, depending on traffic. The only way to efficiently get there is to take Hwy 99 down the center of the San Joaquin Valley. It’s too hot. It’s ugly. There are a lot of billboards advertising Jesus and lawyers. And by Jesus I mean the Pentecostal variety. The lawyers are all car accident attorneys. Not sure which of the two I would prefer to give money to. One offers immediate cash remuneration. The other offers eternal salvation, once you pay up of course. Nothing is free. The Central Valley is often called the New Appalachia. Mostly due to the poverty, disease, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. I know, you are saying “when do we go!!” For me, about once a month. And I run the hell away quick. Sort of like post high school.

Well we made Visalia in under four hours. I hate Visalia. We had planned on taking Dad out to dinner. To his favorite Chinese place. Before dinner we had a bottle of nice champagne as a cocktail. Dad likes champagne and we always have it at the holidays. And whenever we get together. No celebration required.

After the bottle we headed out to eat with the Chinaman. Which is how my grandma would have called it. It’s cinco de mayo so the place was almost empty. This Chinese place is not a favorite of mine. Last time I was here they ran out of rice. Really. No rice in a Chinese restaurant!!?!?! Morons. Well, food was fine at least. And I got rice. Yay.

After dinner we watched a little TV and went to bed. We get to sleep in the back bedroom which is great because they leave the door closed all the time. So there is no layer of cat pee in there. Of course, his cleaner uses Fabuloso detergent on the bed sheets so it still stinks, just in a different way.

I had a difficult time sleeping, Emily really didn’t sleep well. The dogs were fine, of course. They can sleep thru any bad smell. So we woke up tired.

I was in charge of breakfast so I made waffles. They were fantastic of course. After breakfast we loaded up to head for home. I am reclaiming dad’s birthday gift, the big green egg bbq. He says he can’t use it. I have none since the move. So I claimed it in the name of France. It’s in my backyard right now.

Trip home was a little longer than trip down. But at least we were someplace good when the trip ended.

We got home kinda early, around 230. We spent our afternoon cleaning and doing laundry. Emily went to the store so we could bbq tonight. That’s a great thing. And the stemaks and tri tip were very good. Of course, I cooked them.

Not much else after dinner. Sat around. Watched TV. Usual. Went to bed and watched Mad Dogs. Then we slept, reasonably well. No stink. Work tomorrow